Before leaving: Trump is considering forming a party and granting pardons

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Just before the end of his term, Donald Trump is considering forming a party to be called the “Patriots Party”, the Wall Street Journal reported tonight (Wednesday), relying on associates of the outgoing US president.

The timing of the move – two weeks after the riots on Capitol Hill, prompted elements within the Republican Party to criticize Trump’s conduct and claim he incited his supporters.

Trump in a farewell speech, yesterday // From the White House YouTube channel

Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader in the Senate, said yesterday that the rioters on Capitol Hill were “fed up with lies” and “instigated by the president and other powerful people, who tried to use fear and violence in an attempt to stop and revoke Congress’ approval for Democrat Joe Biden.”

Meanwhile, Trump has decided to grant 73 pardons and sweeten the sentence of another 70 people. Among the prominent figures who received a pardon: former senior adviser Steve Bannon, operator of Jonathan Pollard Aviam Sela, former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, former politician and football player Casey Orler and rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.

A few months ago, Bannon was arrested and charged when federal prosecutors in New York accused him and three others of more than $ 1 million in donor fraud, as part of a campaign to raise donations from Trump supporters to build the wall on the border with Mexico.

Bannon, a key figure on the American right, served as an adviser on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, and is considered one of the architects of victory, and a senior associate of Trump. In August 2017, he was fired and his relationship with the president deteriorated. “Bannon has nothing to do with my presidency. When he was fired he not only lost his job but also his sanity,” Trump said in January 2018.

Bannon walks out of Manhattan federal court after hearing his case, last August // Photo: Reuters

Sela, 75, is an Israeli citizen who was indicted in 1986 for espionage in connection with the Pollard affair. Sela was not prosecuted in the US. Sela’s request for kindness was supported by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Drummer, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Dr. Miriam Adelson.

Kilpatrick is serving a 28-year prison sentence on corruption charges.

Casey Orlcher is the brother of NFL (National Football League) player Brian Orlcher. He pleaded guilty to charges of operating an illegal gambling network.

“The president has granted a full pardon to Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., also known as Lil Wayne,” the White House press secretary said in a statement. “Mr Carter has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.”

Wayne performing in 2015 // Photo: Reuters

The announcement stated that Lil Wayne has donated to a variety of charities. A few weeks ago he met with President Trump and posted a picture of both of them on his Twitter account.

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